1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stand that clamps to wheelchairs and tilts or reclines the wheelchair rearwardly, particularly for occupant shampooing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reclining wheelchairs have been known in the prior art, that is, wheelchairs which have a reclining back, and some chairs also have lifts for the chair leg and foot supports when the back reclines. There have also been attachments that have been used for reclining and holding wheelchairs in tilted or reclined position, but many of these provide a relatively unsafe sensation to the occupant of the chair, and are not power operated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,040 issued to Mize et al. shows a reclining attachment for a wheelchair which comprises a pair of rearwardly extending legs fixed to the chair that will engage the ground and stop the wheelchair when the wheelchair is tilted rearwardly. The chair tilts on the wheels, and the amount of tilting is adjustably through the adjustment of the legs. It is manually operated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,740 shows two U-shaped tubular members that attach onto a wheelchair and which will stop the wheelchair from tilting rearwardly more than a desired amount. It enables a wheelchair to be reclined rearwardly, but is manually operated and attaches to the handles which are provided for people who push the wheelchairs.
A chair support is shown in U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 620,078 which will hold a chair rearwardly stopped for reclining. It too is used with a non-wheeled chair and there is no teaching of use with a wheelchair, nor is there any teaching of use for reclining wheelchairs when shampooing the occupant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,013 shows a reclining wheelchair in which the reclining mechanism is built into the wheelchair and is hydraulically operated for reclining the back of the wheelchair and the footrests of the wheelchair. The chair then can be stretched out so that it assumes a shape substantially like a bed or cot. In other words, the backrest and leg supports will pivot relative to the seat, much like a reclining a living room chair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,056 shows a motorized wheelchair tie-down system developed for use in vehicles for restraining drivers or passengers that are confined to a wheelchair. The device does secure the wheelchair automatically when it is in place, and tilts the wheelchair slightly during use but does not show full support for reclining the chair.
Thus, none of the prior art shows a stand that can be clamped positively to the frame of an existing wheelchair and tilt the stand and wheelchair rearwardly while a backrest is provided to support the patient and give a sense of security. The stand of the present invention is of size so that is can be positioned adjacent a wash basin for permitting an operator to move a wheelchair into position and tilt the chair for shampooing an occupant's hair.